Conveners
Dark Matter and Rare Processes: Block 1
- Rita Bernabei (University and INFN Roma Tor Vergata)
Dark Matter and Rare Processes: Block 2
- Rita Bernabei (University and INFN Roma Tor Vergata)
- Zurab Berezhiani (Univ. L'Aquila and LNGS (Italy))
Description
This session will focus on results and ideas on the important topics of Dark Matter detection and of searches for rare processes. Both contributions on experimental and theoretical efforts are welcome.
The Dark Matter (DM) problem, experimentally, is tackled in different ways that can fall into two main complementary areas: direct and indirect searches. Among the indirect searches for DM, the observation from space of possible indirect signatures in the Cosmic Rays and in the gamma-ray sector has triggered increasing interest in the last years, with space missions like PAMELA, AMS, FERMI,...
The recent results of DAMA/LIBRA–phase2 experiment deep underground at Gran Sasso are presented. The improved experimental configuration with respect to the phase1 allowed a lower software energy threshold. The DAMA/LIBRA–phase2 data confirm the evidence of a signal that meets all the requirements of the model independent Dark Matter annual modulation signature, at high C.L. The model...
The search for dark matter (DM) weakly interacting massive particles with noble elements has probed masses down and below a GeV/c^2. The ultimate limit is represented by the experimental threshold on the energy transfer to the nuclear recoil. Currently, the experimental sensitivity has reached a threshold equivalent to a few ionization electrons. In these conditions, the contribution of a...
Dark Matter particle candidates able to induce nuclear recoils can be
also studied using the so-called directionality technique. This approach is
based on studying the correlation between the nuclear recoils direction and
the Earth motion in the galactic rest frame.
Several experimental techniques to explore the directionality approach
have been proposed. In this talk, a review of such...
The Heavy Photon Search (HPS) experiment searches for an electro-produced dark photon using an electron beam provided by the CEBAF accelerator at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
HPS looks for dark photons through two distinct methods, a resonance search in the e+e- invariant mass distribution above the large QED background (large dark photon-SM particles coupling region)...
We will discuss Mirror dark matter searches from
Direct detection underground experiments, ultra cold neutrons and gravitational waves physics.
The DAMA/LIBRA experiment shows $9.5 \sigma$ evidence for an annual modulation in the $(1-6)~ {\rm keV}$ energy range, strongly suggesting that the observed modulation has the dark matter origin. However, the conventional interpretation in terms of WIMP-nucleon interaction is excluded by other experiments. We propose an alternative source of modulation based on the so-called axion...
Leptophilic dark matter (LDM) could naturally arise in many beyond the Standard Model scenarios and could address certain experimental anomalies. We will discuss some model-independent collider constraints on the LDM effective couplings with the Standard Model sector, considering its production at a future electron-positron linear collider (with polarized and unpolarized beam options) in the...
We are experimentally investigating possible departures from the standard quantum mechanics’ predictions at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in Italy.
In particular, with radiation detectors we are searching signals predicted by the collapse models (spontaneous emission of radiation) which were proposed to solve the “measurement problem” in quantum physics and signals coming from a...
